An Attempt to tap into Life’s Absurdity – Movie Review: A Swedish Love Story

“A Swedish love story”, directed by Roy Anderson, is a compelling film about the first love experience between two teenagers, Pär and Annika. Set in the summer of 1970 in Stockholm, the story features a strongly conveyed social climate of that time in Sweden. While the puppy love is the main focus of the chugging storyline, there are, as a continuous backdrop, details involving a world of dysfunctional adults who never seem to stop complaining about life.

The story weaves around the adolescent romance in a natural and engaging way, unfolding the two teenagers’ shy, awkward efforts to be together. On their first encounter in a garden party of a nursing home, they get attracted to each other, exchanging sidelong furtive glances, allowing the eyes to do all the talking. Though they later chance to meet again on several other occasions, it is only through peer support and encouragement that they finally become friends.

The puppy love, hitherto pure and implicit, soon gives way to their incipient sexual awakening, hence increasing intimacy as they get along. This detail comes as no surprise, considering the earlier description of the moped gang, always seen with a cigarette in the mouth, embracing and kissing in public. Teen sex, as well as smoking and fighting, is probably an indication of their eagerness to reach adulthood. This is already implied in Pär’s mimic smoking in front of the mirror at the start of the movie. However, in their attempts to venture into adulthood, they have apparently lost much of the miraculous grace in their emotional fusion – Are we not aware of the gradual lessening of the glittering charm in Annika’s blue eyes?

On the other hand, the film also draws attention to the dark corners of adulthood by giving a feeling of reality to the lives of the working class and the middle class in a subtle but critical tone. The parents, relatives and friends seem to be moaning endlessly about their lost dreams and failed opportunities. Pär’s grandfather, in the presence of his visiting relatives, declares tearfully his refusal to be discharged from the nursing home as he finds the world a place unfit for lonely people. There is also the floundering aunt of Annika, who keeps lamenting her loneliness and her being deprived of her desired job. Annika’s parents are an unhappy pair; the mother is often in tears while the father is troubled by his financial problems, angrily or even hysterically asserting more than once that “money is the only thing that matters”.

What is behind the “love story” is perhaps an attempt to tap into life’s absurdity at this rebellious time when children without parental care spend far too much time hanging around, getting themselves into trouble. Victimized by their parents’ fecklessness and psychological volatility, the teenagers are doomed to a bleak future. The intention of the movie, therefore, is probably to cast light on the evil consequences of inadequate parental concern rather than impressing the audience with a premature romance.

A Woman who Yearns for Liberation from all her Life Roles “The Disappearance of My Mother” – Movie Review

“The Disappearance of My Mother” is a memorable documentary that presents a vivid and fascinating portrait of Benedetta Barzini, an Italian fashion model and feminist intellectual. Italian filmmaker Beniamino Barrese, her son, has been photographing and filming her since he was a teenager. Beniamino obviously uses the film as a way of storing memories of her mother, tracing her journey from her charismatic past to her waning present.

Thanks to appropriate film techniques, the documentary is well organized, informative and dramatically bewitching. Frequent close-ups of Barzini’s eyes impress the audience with her look of resentment; she disapproves of publicity, of social life and even of the entire world. Her wrinkled face magnified strongly smacks of her wisdom and sense of individuality, which accrue with her age. The close-up of the mole on the cheek of a young model instantly replaced by that on a wrinkled face is a remarkable arrangement for Barzini’s first appearance in the documentary.

Besides, stock footage, both still images as well as archival film, is inserted into the documentary to enhance the description of Barzini’s involvement in women empowerment activities when she was still in middle age, thus showing her strong personality as an outspoken feminist with hatred for gender inequality and calling for a way of co-existing that would end sexism.

Narrative montages with a series of short shots are also used to indicate changes in time and place within the film. Now a university lecturer in her mid seventies, she still harbours contempt for the world based on male philosophy. Raising doubt about what she refers to as prototypes of beauty, she suggests that women disappear from men’s imagination. She tells her students that women equal Nature while men are for thought and reason. Quite surprisingly, though, she sees the image of a mother holding a baby the highest symbol of tenderness and love, and considers that even a business woman’s role is a mother.

With the use of the filmic flashback, structuring its narrative partly through memory, the director is careful to present selected evidence to Barzini’s long cherished intention of disappearing from public life though it is not known exactly when and how the plan was initiated. On several occasions, Barzini has hinted at “vanishing”. Amidst the mid-movie flashbacks of Barzini’s captivating appearances on catwalks and magazine covers in her youth, the wrinkle-faced former supermodel, speaking to the camera, expresses her annoyance at images. She is more interested in things that cannot be seen and wishes to walk concealed within her privacy. As she puts it, her real self is “unphotographable”. In a picture taken of her at the age of 15, she looks malnourished. She thinks that refusing to eat is one thing women can do in protest against family control and is pleased to feel her body vanishing. In addition, she is intent on vanishing from society, actually from a race to which she does not feel a sense of belonging as she disagrees with their current values. More than once, Barzini has been seen swimming in the sea with the voice-over narration of her wish to escape from it all. And the shot showing her disappearing beneath the waves is particularly expressive.

Barzini makes occasional protests against being filmed though most of the time she yields to her son’s whims. The verbal communication between mother and son during the filming process adds to the realism of the story. In fact, using a hand-held camera, the director is not hesitant about showing trifling details of Benedetta’s private life and even her unglamorous habits. However, there is some doubt about the naturalness of the filming as the director has once or twice put himself in front of the camera, appearing side by side with his mother, or contrasted against her in the mirror.

It is also doubted whether certain scenes have been constructed artificially to add to the documentary’s dramatic appeal. This is particularly apparent when they are discussing how the documentary will be brought to an end. In one scene, for example, she is seen walking in the woods, and in another, she is rowing a boat in the wide open sea, both giving the impression of her final disappearance when suddenly she appears again in her messy room smoking her usual electronic cigarette.
On the whole, the gripping documentary gives a complete picture of a fascinating central figure, provoking much thinking about what beauty actually means and what is more pursuable than the glamour of limelight. “The Disappearance of My Mother” is indeed a film too good to miss.

Humans should learn to respect Nature Movie Review: "Honeyland"

“Honeyland” is a documentary film set in a mountain village in Macedonia, one of the world’s poorest countries. The director and his team spent three years filming the life of Hatidze Muratova, a Macedonian woman believed to be the last female wild beekeeper in Europe.

The documentary is, for the main part, a factual film which is dramatic, telling about Hatidze’s life encounters while, at the same time, also providing a specific message along with the facts it presents.

The film provokes much thinking about human relationships. A considerable portion of the content is dedicated to the description of Hatidze’s daily routines, extracting and preparing honey for sale and taking care of her mother, who is sightless and bedridden. It is out of both love and necessity that she gives the old woman tender care despite her occasional fits of temper. The old woman also shows concern about Hatidze’s chance of getting married. The scene in which they exchange kisses is particularly touching. It is thus apparent that genuine love is infallible despite the challenges of ill health, poverty and hopelessness about the future.

On the other hand, what happens after the arrival of a nomadic family with their herd of cattle to reside in the neighbourhood shows the fragility of human relationships. Initially, Hatidze is very friendly, sharing ideas about breeding bees with the cattle farmer, going to market in his truck and having fun with his kids. But they end on bad terms with each other once they find themselves faced with a conflict of interest. And quarrels also occur between the cattle owner and his family. They blame one another for the loss of half of the number of cattle through their negligence. And peace is restored only when they move away, people and cattle together.

Of greater importance is the message about the relationship between humans and Nature. In harmony with Nature, human activities can yield fruitful results. Hatidze Muratova is seen extracting honey from the comb with her bare hands. She does not seem disturbed by the flying bees though there seems little protection from them except for what the head netting affords. One thing she specifies repeatedly is that she cuts only half of the honey comb, leaving the other half for the breeding of bees, a practice contributive to honeybee conservation and sustainability.

By contrast, human interferences can have a negative impact on ecosystems. Having learned about the profit Hatidze Muratova makes from the sale of honey in the market, the nomadic family also start breeding bees. But out of their greediness, they extract honey in excessive quantities, ignoring the need for conservation, thus causing damage to ecology and resulting in many deaths in Hatidze’s beehive. The scene showing the bees fiercely stinging the couple and their kids is probably intended to impress the audience with Nature’s vengeance on humans for their selfish invasion.

Added to this, due to their obsession with the honey business, they neglect their cattle, resulting in starvation, sickness and death. This is obviously another indication of the calamity humans are inflicted with as a punishment for their greed and selfishness. Furthermore, the incident about the bushes set on fire accidentally is another warning against lack of attention to environmental care. Luckily, the flames are put under control, suggesting that Hatidze and the others have finally learned the lesson.

In addition, the film is an example of direct cinema with a genre characterized by its creative treatment of actuality. Details of what is actually happening are filmed surreptitiously and are presented as they are. There are quite a number of single-shot moments captured on film: the journey by train to the market, bees stinging a crying baby, kids swinging on a tree, a boy helping a cow give birth, all emotionally engaging despite its being a non-fiction film.

Moreover, the film is also given credit for its creative visuals that reinforce storytelling. The audience is inevitably impressed by the landscape beauty of the mountain village and the gorgeous sunrise and sunset filmed with wide shot angles. Besides, precise lighting is used as an indicator of nonverbal mood and emotion in various scenes. For example, where Hatidze is taking care of her old mother, showing her worries about the latter’s gradually ebbing life, the only source of light is a candle, adding much to the scene of destitution and misery.

However, while the director is intent on delivering a positive message about environmental conservation, some doubt has been raised about the sincerity of his direct cinema approach. Could he have warned the people involved about the foreseeable problems instead of just remaining an outsider, allowing things to happen so that he could enjoy filming to his heart’s content?

In any case, I find the film very inspiring and would recommend it enthusiastically.

More than a Mere Eye Candy - Dilili in Paris: Film Review:

Dilili in Paris, an animation film by Michel Ocelot, tells a thrilling story about the attempts at tracking down the Master Men, a gang of girls’ kidnappers in Paris, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

From the very start, the audience’s curiosity is aroused about Dilili, a little girl of French and Kanak descent, becoming more and more emotionally engaged as she gets entangled in almost every incident the story twines around.

Dilili looks small and dark especially when seen with the strikingly fair-skinned French. If her physical appearance is nothing particularly noteworthy, she draws attention in more captivating ways. Probably due to her refined upbringing despite her humble background, she is very careful about her good manners. She thus easily gains the trust and friendship of the people she meets, among whom quite a few are of high social status.

Together with Orel, the delivery boy, Dilili goes on a sequence of visits to his friends, bringing the audience on a breathtaking and compelling trip of investigation. With an eagle eye, Dilili is smart enough to identify a suspect, even one that seems absolutely harmless. She can fare very well in the various social circles she is introduced to, enabling herself to seek information important for the investigation. Through eavesdropping, for example, she succeeds in hunting for useful clues. And, amusingly, her casual rope skipping also plays a part in the arrest of two jewel robbers. Above all, she displays great courage when she herself gets trapped in the horrendous situation of the kidnapped victims. This way, the film keeps the audience in suspense at one moment and then leaves them breathing a sigh of relief at another.

Moreover, the animation also casts light on a period when several historical firsts for women in France were made. It depicts some of the renowned historical figures who were often present in the city at the time, including Emma Calves, the most famous French female opera singer, and Marie Curie, the first woman of the Nobel Prize. In fact, female supremacy in society during that period had been the cause of jealousy leading to the kidnap case with the related evil acts of male suppression and abuse of women and girls.

In addition, with its beautiful animation, Dilili in Paris presents Paris as a centre of cultural history during the La Belle Epoque era, when the arts flourished and gained recognition. The 2-D characters are placed alongside beautiful photo-realistic Parisian backdrops, giving the audience the chance to feast their eyes on the authentic masterpieces of theater, music and visual art while enjoying an engaging and fascinating story.

However, despite the sumptuous visuals, Dilili in Paris is more than a mere eye candy. It is a mystery movie that would attract both adults and kids. It is also recommendable to teachers and students interested in a meaningful lesson on French cultural history.

FUNAN: a Story of Endurance and Hope

Funan is an animation based on historical facts partly collected from Director Denis Do’s mother and others who have been through similar experiences, thus enhancing its realism despite its dramatic elements as a fiction film.

The film tells a harrowing story about the miseries of a young couple, Khuon and Chuo, during the brutal Communist Regime of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia in the 1970s. Still enjoying modern life in Phnom Penh, the capital city, they are suddenly forced to evacuate from their home to be exiled to an internment camp with the other families. On the way, Sovanh, their son, gets lost. What happens thereafter depicts the horrid situation they are thrown into.

Struggling through slave labour and severe food shortage in the communist labour camp, they still hope against hope that they will be reunited with Sovanh, believed to be in the care of their grandmother in another camp. Meanwhile, they witness one tragedy after another as the Cambodians are subjected to cruel treatment under the Angkan regime, which keeps boasting of the birth of the so-called new society and promising to “reward those who work hard”.

According to Director Do, the screen is split into two equal parts — characters and landscape. And this is done with excellent animation skills to achieve the desired effects. There are indeed quite a number of characters with heartrending experiences, which, when put together, can very well give a vivid picture of what actually happened during the Khmer Rouge reign of terror.

Understandably, it is no easy task telling the characters apart as all are dressed alike and even with the uniform hairstyle. However, the carefully drawn strokes showing certain features on each individual face, Chuo’s bristles and Lily’s freckles, for example, make them easily identifiable. The subtlest change of facial expression is also shown to convey emotion -- the communists’ cunning and meanness, Chuo’s weariness and bitterness, all attributed to the awesome digitally hand-drawn animation skills.

Presumably, the director prefers to show the violence off screen. In fact, the vastness and attractiveness of the Cambodian landscape chosen as a backdrop to the tragic story somehow serves to lessen the impact of the atrocities and bestial acts, which would, otherwise, have been more heart wrenching and devastating in a live-action film. Where the Cambodian people toil day and night are beautiful scenic paddy fields, ostensibly a very pleasant sight if not for the cruelty of the communist taskmasters, often armed goons.

On the whole, this film takes the audience on an engaging and emotional trip through love, loss, pain, fear and then hope. Though not recommendable for kids below 12, it is a family movie with a special appeal for viewers with an interest in a history lesson on the political turmoil of South-East Asia. In brief, it is a must-see.

Did she love her family too much? Movie Review : A Regular Woman

In the movie “A Regular Woman” Hatun "Aynur" Sürücü, the chief female character, is dead from the outset, and it is her own voice-over narration with her clinical tone that moves the story along, giving each scene the feel of reportage. Why does the movie begin with a murder case?

To most of us, our family is a blessing. When we find ourselves in a predicament, it is often our parents and siblings who help us find a way out. But what happens to Aynur is a totally different story. Her devout Muslim family, with whom she has emigrated to Berlin, has been a curse to her since her submission to a forced marriage.

Quite in contrast with what is expected of “a regular woman”, Aynur refuses to conform to social and family expectations. As she herself remarks, she qualifies as a “regular woman” only where the first two family rules regarding pre-marriage virginity are concerned. As the story unfolds, her strength of character is shown through her acts of rebelliousness. Still in her pregnancy, she runs away from her abusive husband, throws off her headscarf, takes up residence in a group home for young mothers and works on an apprenticeship program as an electrician with a male pullover on, much to her family’s chagrin.

In fact, Aynur’s parents and her brothers see her behavior as a disgrace to the family. In spite of the crowdedness of the house, they blame her for moving out with her baby. On the other hand, as time goes by, they resent her occasional visits for fear of her bad influence on the other sisters. They keep pestering Aynur with frequent phone calls, threatening her to give up her social and romantic life, which they deem indecent and shameful. Their resentment heightens as Can, Aynur’s boy, gradually grows up. Supported by a radical preacher at their mosque, they are determined to do everything they can to prevent the child’s life from being rotten by Aynur’s undisciplined and irreligious practices. And when their hatred has gone beyond control, they resort to an honour killing.

From the above, it can be deduced that the murder’s place in the film serves a very important purpose: it is to cast light on some Muslims’ steadfast, and yet irrational, adherence to their religious ethics, to the extent that they will try every means to put right what they consider non-compliant. In her voice-over narration, Aynur states the ethical rules in sequence, matching each with her unconforming behavior, explaining how her death is justified by her family’s standard. On the other hand, she also shows unfailing persistence in liberating herself from these unreasonable religious impositions even after she has been gunned down by her brother, hence her after-death narration.

While taking pity on Aynur for her misfortune, I cannot help wondering whether she could have escaped death if she had cut the emotional ties with her family in time. Did she love her family too much?

The family ties are always there - The Secret Child

“The Secret Child” is a story common in a part of mainland China where some village children are brought up in single-parent families because their fathers have got remarried in the town where they work.

The chief female character is the ‘secret child’, whose father has all the while hidden her existence from his second wife. As if to emphasize the secrecy, her name is not even mentioned throughout the entire film. Her surprise visit, therefore, causes turbulence in the peaceful life of the three - member family and the ripples thus caused will remain forever.

The twenty-minute-plus film tells a very realistic story through vivid character interactions. For example, the girl is robbed of her wallet on her arrival at the town market. Her unwariness implies that she is there only for the first visit. When enjoying the drumstick with her father, she starts giggling for no reason at all, showing her long- cherished desire to be with him. Brushing her hair aside, the second wife comments on the girl’s resemblance to her father, her voice dripping with hatred and jealousy. When the young boy asks his sister whether she is there only for a visit, the woman’s intention is clear even without a separate scene showing her disapproval of the girl’s permanent residence. In fact, with structured details and dialogues well designed, the film is interesting despite the lack of entertainment elements.

On the other hand, the director seems to provide reasons for the treatment the girl receives. The scene showing the couple crammed in a bed with the boy in between is an indication of their financial difficulty. Besides, their store is unlikely to be very flourishing as it is located in a lonely part of the market with the neighbouring shops all closed. Besides, they keep talking about their inability to rent a bigger warehouse to guard the merchandize against typhoon attacks. All these seem to justify their reluctance to accept an added family member.

Moreover, the man is, after all, a very caring father. He asks whether the girl has had enough to eat. When the girl falls while roller-skating, he hurries to her rescue immediately. Then it is merely to sooth his wife’s anger that he slaps the girl for her slight mistake, for he later pulls a blanket round her shoulders, expressing his regret. He is obviously the last one who would opt to send her away.

Where filming techniques are concerned, the director seems intent on giving realism to a few scenes with the use of a hand-held camera. Medium shots follow the girl during her search for her father among crowded stalls with messy displays of merchandize. At times, the shots move a bit closer to the girl’s face to draw attention to her anxiety and insecurity in a totally strange environment. This is also true of the scene of a church with a queue waiting for drumsticks and noodles to be distributed. Similarly, handheld shots follow the girl when she is leaving the town, her back hunching as if weighed down by sadness. All this very effectively creates intimate moments by pulling the audience into the scenes.

Everything happens within a couple of days. The girl’s visit, like the typhoon, has caused some disturbance to the family. With her departure, however, life should be back to normal. Nevertheless, though the typhoon has gone, there is still worry about the coming of another. Likewise, the couple will, from now on, live with the thought about the girl’s revisit at any time. Indeed the repeated appearance of the red scarf probably suggests the endless existence of the family ties, as implied in the Chinese name “無休無止”.

"Come and see" – In Celebration of the Extraordinary Missionary Month

In response to Pope Francis’ appeal for the celebration of the Extraordinary Missionary Month, an open-air mass was held at the site of the Ruins of St Paul’s on 19th October 2019. As the message was “Baptized and Sent: the Church of Christ on Mission in the World”, the venue for the Eucharistic celebration had been chosen in an attempt to engage non-believers through evangelism. Has this aim been well achieved? 

I was among the many attendants that evening. Despite my active participation in the ritual, I could not help being distracted at times by the onlookers, assumedly tourists on a visit. The above question flashed across my mind from time to time. I also thought of the Bible quote “Jesus said: Come and see (John 1: 39-40)”. The tourists were doubtlessly the non-believers we desired to reach. Did we manage to make them come and see? What did we want them to see? Did they somehow get inspired by what they saw that evening?

The huge congregation occupying the entire staircase in front of the main façade of the former Mater Dei Church as well as the stone-paved ground at its bottom must have been a magnificent sight to the visitors. They must also have been fascinated by the choral singing and prayer recital. However, as this is a popular tourist attraction, actually an icon of Macau, where a variety of activities are held at different times of the year, it is doubted whether the onlookers saw the open-air mass merely as one of the tourist activities and cared only to take a few photos for remembrance. Did the mass serve its purpose of evangelism ultimately? 

In retrospect, I think we have reasons to be optimistic. For one thing, unlike the performances aimed to entertain the tourists, our singing was an act of prayer consisting mainly of hymns, each with a spiritual appeal, igniting their curiosity about the message conveyed. Besides, our chorus was a visible expression of our joy of being brought together as a community, not only within the same parish but between parishes. In fact, when singing with one accord, though lacking in professionalism, we showed that we were faithfully united in Christ.

In addition, the tourists must have been attracted by the priests seated on the raised platform, far more by Bishop Lee, the celebrant speaking most of the time. The idea of the Bishop’s role as the pastor was, of course, unknown to them. But they must have marveled at how readily and unanimously the congregation responded to his words. The natural way in which we interacted with him could not have been the result of a timely rehearsal. On the contrary, it had been due to long years’ practice based on a well-established religious belief. Bishop Lee’s sermon in four different languages indeed drew great attention, particularly the Putonghua version targeted at them. The sermon may have passed their comprehension. But at least one or two ideas ought to have sunk in. 

I believe, therefore, that though the open-air mass could not claim to be an overnight success, it was at least a step in the right direction. It has kindled a tiny spark of light. Whether the light will persist with vigour, guiding the non-believers gradually out of darkness, however, depends on us Catholics. We have a lot to do in the pursuit of evangelism, inviting the non-believers to come to our church to see. The word church here does not necessarily mean the building where we gather for prayer and adoration. It ought to be interpreted in a broader sense instead. Together, we are the church. In fact, through our acts of love, hope and faith, we will enable the non-believers to see the church in us. This is actually what evangelism is about.

In brief, the open-air mass has achieved its aim, which was to reawaken in us the awareness of our mission. As Pope Francis says, each of us is a mission to the world, for each of us is the fruit of God’s love. Let us be always reminded to share in any way in the mission of the church, proclaiming God’s word and bearing witness to the Gospel.

For her slight comfort

I was going to the cinema one hot afternoon. In my hand was a small handy electric fan, which was a souvenir from a friend. I felt the excitement of using the cute lovely gadget for the first time. 

Coming out of the building, I noticed the old woman, who was a neigbour, sitting near the entrance looking into the emptiness with no expression on the face. In my hurry I walked past without greeting her. Feeling the scorching heat, however, I turned around and went back to her. I gave her the electric fan saying that it would help her cool off a bit and would also blow off the pollution from the passing cars. She thanked me again and again.

Later that evening I suddenly remembered that the fan would need recharging after a few hours’ use. I doubted if I had done the right thing as I seemed to have created problems for her. 

When I saw her again the following day, I told her to leave the fan at the reception and I would help her recharge it. But she looked at me with bewilderment; she did not seem to understand what I was talking about. She might even have forgotten all about the fan. In fact, I did not see her using it in the days that followed.

Somehow I felt sorry for not keeping the souvenir, thus heedless of my friend’s kind thoughts for me. I could have given the old woman another fan, a more easily manageable one. 

Last night, I heard that the old woman had passed away. She must have died peacefully and without much pain for she had been seen in her usual place just a few days before. While praying for the repose of her soul, I felt consoled at the thought of my friend's message expressing her gladness about having also contributed to her slight comfort with the fan, though for merely a brief moment.

How Love Survived Long Years’ Trials and Temptations – Movie Review : The Portuguese Woman

“The Portuguese Woman”, a film directed by Rita Azevedo Gomes, tells the story of a nameless lady from Portugal. The period setting is the age of war in Western Europe sometime in the 17th or 18th century. Lord von Ketten, a warrior, leaves his Portuguese wife one year after their marriage to join a decades-long battle with the Bishop of Trent in northern Italy. Instead of returning to Portugal, the lady takes up her abode in his family castle, a decaying mansion perched high on a rocky peak, to wait with her newborn baby for his return.

A large portion of the film is thus taken up with the description of the whirling vortex of unhappiness, loneliness and boredom the Portuguese woman is trapped in during what seems to be an interminable wait. How the lady rides out the agony of the long wait is shown in some trifling details of her daily life.

Missing her maiden home in Portugal, she is often seen holding a book which she never seems to be reading. She makes sketches and sculptures, too, from which she derives little joy, though, as can be seen from the casual way she handles the finished products. There is hardly any smile on her face except, perhaps, for the moment when she is bathing in a mountain stream, reveling in the freedom the practice affords her in contrast with the feeling of suffocation she endures within the confines of the mansion. Tormented by loneliness, she seeks companionship from the maid servants and slaves, laughing half-heartedly over their stale, childish games.  Besides, she must have been walking aimlessly around the vicinity of the mountains, exchanging pleasantries with the few rural dwellers who cross paths with her, for she seems very familiar with the sad story of an old woman with her face half hidden behind a thick veil.

Strangely, while a wolf cub and a kitten, both adopted, become her cherished pets, there seems a lack of communication between mother and child. The only time when she shows her motherly concern is when the child is almost choked on account of a slave’s negligence. The sporadic appearances of a teenager, obviously her son, later in the story only serve to indicate the years going by. Another teenager, probably the same boy but slightly more advanced in age, is seen responding to the bidding of the wheelchaired Ketten, whom he addresses as Lord. Why is so little importance attached to this character? It somehow highlights the fact that the mere focus of her life is to wait to be reunited with her husband. This probably accounts for the snail’s pace of the film with long quiet scenes to enhance the impression that time crawls on. 

Besides, plain colours also set the monotonous tone and mood of the movie. The Portuguese woman looks arrogant in her pale-coloured costumes of a silky texture, which, however, give no hint of her change of mood, if any. Even on the occasion of her husband’s return after a lengthy absence from home, there are no bright colours to heighten the long forgotten joy. On the other hand, the architectural decay and faded furnishings of the once-rich castle also reveal the dreariness of life and invoke a gloomy mood.

As the story drags on, however, the description of Lord von Ketten takes a sudden turn. Initially, his devotion to the never-ending war has taken him away from his wife for long years. In the few scenes of his brief appearances, he is heavily armoured like the rest of the warriors, always ready to get back to the battlefield. He shows no obvious interest in cultivating intimacy with his wife. But, quite surprisingly, he is later found to be capable of very passionate love, venting his anger on the pet wolf when provoked to fierce jealousy by Pero Lobato, his suspected rival. When Ketten lies in bed, nearly fatally wounded, whether the woman will finally fall for Pero keeps the audience emotionally engaged. And the depiction of Ketten’s strenuous struggles for survival is downright uplifting! These details add to the dramatic appeals of the otherwise stodgy film. They also give the impression that the film is a romance, though not a very tightly constructed one.

We are inevitably attracted by some artistic elements in the film, which can perhaps justify its languid pace. It begins with a singing narrator reciting the poem “Under the Lime Tree”. The narrator’s later reappearances between scenes, singing and commenting on the incidents, smack of something akin to visual poetry. Also artistically appealing are its painterly visuals. Each of the scenes is like a painting typical of those in the Middle Ages. One striking feature is the out-of-focus presence of gaping doors in several scenes, adding much to the mystery of the background spaces.

Overall, while telling about a woman of bravery, patience and tenacity, the film also shows how love can survive long years’ trials and temptations. Though there are moments when it seems a bit drawn-out, this is a film well worth our time and interest

The Elderly Can also be Cute and Lovely - GDP: Grandmas’ Dangerous Project

“GDP: Grandmas’ Dangerous Project” is a movie about the problems faced by the elderly, a global issue of increasing importance. Unlike most of the films with the related theme, it does not have a sad tone. Quite on the contrary, it tells a cheerful story and is, in fact, a product of out-of-the-box thinking.

The film’s funny name is an attraction in itself. The initials “G.D.P” hint at some serious undertaking, preparing the audience for the thrill and excitement of an action film. And it also arouses curiosity about the participation of “grandmas” in the operation. What kind of dangerous project are the grannies involved in? How is the project initiated? Is it within the capability of the old women? Will the project be accomplished? Such are the questions that keep the audience emotionally engaged all through. And it is only towards the end of the movie that the mystery is solved.

And the story is mainly dedicated to the question HOW. The old women, each with her own story, are somehow brought together. Through sharing about their problems in their daily lives, they become aware of the need to seek self-sufficiency as long as they are still alive. And in their attempt to achieve this goal, they conceptualize the project.

In spite of its short duration, this light-hearted story has a hidden message behind the scenes. Though described in a very casual way, even evoking occasional bursts of laughter, the incidents are reminiscent of the existing problems in current society.

Granny Hou behaves in a childish way in order to draw her grandchild’s attention. To her disappointment, however, her daughter-in-law gets annoyed with her and cautions her against such insensible behaviour. She thus feels lonely and uncared for. The story reminds us of the elderly deprived of their dignity and importance because the youngsters do not care much about their opinion and suggestions.

Granny Ying comes back to Macau to host the funeral of her sister. She discovers, to her dismay, that her sister had an unaccomplished dream about visiting her in England. Since then, the old lady has been dwelling on sad memories and regrets. The story raises concern about the problem of depression, which can be triggered by financial concerns, loneliness and ill health, among the elderly. In the case of Granny Ying, bereavement is obviously the cause.

Granny May is found to be messing up her household chores, forgetting her meals and over feeding her fish. Her reduced ability to perform everyday activities is the result of a decline in her memory. This is undoubtedly a call for greater attention to the problem of dementia.

The well conceived script enables the twenty-minute film to deliver a message of such thoroughness. It features brief scenes, each with only a few characters, or only one character, a limited period of time, a clear location and a single event that changes and moves the story forward.

In addition, even without much dialogue, the clarity of the message is enhanced with the use of a certain object as the focal point of attention. The audience will always remember the naughty pair of plastic eyeballs with which Granny Hou tries to bridge the generation-gap and curry favour with her grandchild. When she is complaining tearfully about her son’s negligence of her physical weakness, her only listener turns out to be the pair of plastic eyeballs! The diary in Granny Ying’s story is also memorable as she is seen turning the pages, losing herself in her sister’s secret thoughts. Regarding Granny May, there seems no need for any particular object to highlight her dementia problem, as her constant look of bewilderment and blankness is explicit enough.

For the main part, the film has a comedic tone with the use of irony and ridicule to showcase disturbing truths about the ageing population. And, as the film is nearing its end, the director heightens the comic appeal to ring the curtain up on the project. All fully equipped, and one with the pistol in hand, the three grannies make a pose like a hero’s, ready for action. While the audience are craning their necks in expectation of the actual implementation of the dangerous project, all the images suddenly vanish from the scene and only the grannies’ voices can be heard with police sirens in the background, thus setting the final impression that the long awaited questions are left unanswered. But this is exactly the effect desired; there is something more important than the result of the project, or even the project itself, that the director would like to impress the audience with.

The film is inspirational though there is no emphasis regarding a moral lesson. The audience leave the cinema happily, quite convinced that old people can also be cute and lovely as long as they are treated with  appreciation, dignity and respect.

A Forgotten Episode in African American History – Movie Review : Daughters of the Dust

“Daughters of the Dust” tells a story about the Gullahs, a three-generation Peazant family, who have lived on St. Simons Island, off the Georgia coast, since their ancestors were brought there in chains as slaves from Africa centuries ago.

The film is non-linear in structure and the story, told through glimpses of the past, present and future, overlapping and disjunctive, is not easy to follow. It is through careful attention to the dialogues between the main characters that we audience get some understanding of this forgotten episode of African American history in this forgotten place. In fact, the well-conceived dialogues in Gullah Creole help make the story more expressive. During the one and a half days when the members of the Peazant family meet, they pour out their minds, thus evoking bitter memories of the old days when the enslaved Africans toiled on the plantations and also casting light on the second generation’s expectation of resilience and potential in the unknown future.

What brings them together is a reunion dinner followed by a rite of passage to a new life in the North on the mainland. However, the Peazants are divided in their opinions about the migration, which accounts for the occasional bitter arguments. Nana, the family’s matriarchal figure, whose entire life has been built around the family, is determined to stay on the island, insisting that their cultural heritage and folklore should be maintained. Those in favour of embarking for the mainland include the two cousins, Viola and Yellow Mary, the former a devout Catholic and the latter a pursuer of freedom, both with recent experience of life away from the island. Haagar, another cousin, claims to be educated, often viewing Nana’s conservative mind with contempt, and is also hopeful of better opportunities on the mainland.

In spite of the divergences of their perspectives, the Christians, Muslims, and indigenous believers among the Gullahs get along harmoniously with one another. While some kids gather round Viola listening to her Bible stories, a few are seen kneeling in adoration on the sand under the guidance of Bilal, a Muslim. And a small group, adults and kids alike, show obvious interest in an indigenous “wish book”.

Though there are scattered details concerning the male characters in the story, the ones assigned most of the dialogues and most often filmed in close-ups are the females.  Assumedly, this is due to the fact that females have been the victims of unfair treatment over all those long years. Nana remembers how she, like the other maidens in the days of slavery, struggled to grow crops in arid dusty soil, hence the name “Daughters of the Dust”. Yellow Mary is rejected with scorn and criticized for having been ruined. In fact, rape cases still occur. Eli is in constant pain because he suspects that a rape predator is responsible for his wife’s pregnancy. However, there is a touch of optimism towards the end when Eula bravely asserts that the scars and wounds they bear have now hardened and can well serve as an armour protecting them from further abuse.

Though without entertainment elements, the film has been acclaimed for its lush visuals. Every outdoor scene is a stunning painting depicting Nature’s beauty at its best. I am most impressed by the presence of the sea in the background in almost every scene, probably to highlight the call to the islanders from the mainland. Somehow I think the director has set the sea as a stage where the actors and actresses go on and off. We see Yellow Mary strolling on one side of the seashore with her lover from Cuba, while on the other side, there is the cheerful laughter of the young boys and girls running about. And Mr. Sneak, the photographer, also chooses a few seaside sites for taking snapshots of the islanders. What is most captivating is that Eula’s dramatic assertion about females’ strengthened resistance against abuse also takes place on the seaside with a close resemblance to a closing speech on stage.

One remarkable point worth the prospective viewer’s attention is the voice-over narration by Eula and Eli’s unborn child, who, a character herself, travels back and forth through time. This and other unique features make the film dreamy and poetic with a special appeal for viewers looking for something different from the mainstream films.

When life gives you no reason to smile – Movie Review: Killer of Sheep

The movie “killer of Sheep” tells the story of Stan, a slaughter house worker, and a few families he is related to. While showing how his family’s endless routine intertwines with the interruptions of random events, the movie also casts light on the poverty-related problems among the African Americans in Chicago. 

The movie begins with a father blaming his boy for not doing anything to protect his brother. His mother simply slaps him across the face. It somehow suggests that children there are fed on the idea about having to fight for survival, and violence is accepted as a solution to problems. Schooling, on the other hand, is not an important consideration. In fact, boys are seen doing nothing all day but running wild about, causing trouble and playing war games. Girls, though seemingly more docile by comparison, are unguarded against adult conversations, resulting in their prematurity and lack of moral training.

The adults have their own problems. When somebody gets beaten up, triggering hatred and enmity, the result is often violence and bloodshed. The word “niggers”, still a racist insult, is now also used as a swear-word among the African Americans themselves, an indication of their blunt style, often sliding into coarseness and vulgarity.

In reality, several parallels can be observed in the description of the problems involving the two generations. There are scenes alternating between the two, thus showing that their problems are somehow related. There is a repeated scene showing a few boys cycling or street-surfing speedily between moving cars and no one seems to find anything wrong with it. And not to be ignored is the fact that there is no interference from traffic cops, either. In reality, I do not remember seeing one!

Unlike many of the other African Americans, however, Stan, the sheep killer, hates violence. He is intent on getting adapted to the life situation as it is, always reminding his boy to stop calling his mom “my dear”, a common practice in the rural south, which he refers to as "back home". He manages to stand firm in the face of moral dilemmas, declining a repeated job offer from an ill-intentioned white woman and also refusing to get involved in a planned murder in spite of the lucrative reward promised.

Sarcastically, it is his job is to kill! Imagine the agony he has to go through while working in the slaughter house! Probably, to put emphasis on his pain, there are close-ups of the innocent looking flock of sheep being driven to death. This is obviously a resemblance to the bewilderment of the African Americans about their future when they were moving to the north from the south. Then close-ups of the dissected parts of the slaughtered sheep, bloody and disgusting, hanging on hooks, are reminiscent of the bloody, violent scenes of the human world itself. 

He may have taken his sadness home after work, a probable cause of his unhappy marriage. He also laments his non-church-going life since his departure from the south. It is small wonder that even his wife remarks on his lack of smile.

The undramatic story aside, the movie captivates the audience with its beautiful background music and songs, mostly adapted, including songs of solace and west end blues. While enhancing the story, the songs get into the emotions of the characters. They work very well, too, to evoke certain emotions with the audience.

The song “The house I live in”, for example, accompanying the street scenes with the kids going wild, is representative of the African Americans’ lack of a purpose in life, their doubt about their own future highlighted with the lyrics “What is America to me? A name, a map, or a flag I see?” 

When Stan’s wife is preening herself with the expectation of a night of romance, the song “Reasons” with the lyrics “longing to love you, just for a night” well serves the purpose. But it struck me as unusual that the director has chosen to put the song in her little daughter’s mouth. Perhaps, the girl’s obvious familiarity with the song is intended to put emphasis on the long -standing unhappy marriage.

 “This bitter earth”, a melancholy song, is played while Stan is dancing with his wife. The lyrics “What good is love that no one shares” well depicts the absence of love between the couple. On the other hand, the same song is played towards the end of the film when Stan is seen going about his slaughtering job. His broad grin, in stark contrast with the sad look that he used to wear on his face, is well matched by the lyrics to show his ignited hope about life. 

The movie may not have strong dramatic elements to attract viewers looking for entertainment. Yet for those interested in a down-to-earth story in the city of Chicago, this is the right choice.